ADVANCE Program Milestones:
All ADVANCE students must adhere to the following requirements. For Milestones #1-#3, failure to meet these milestones will prevent a student from matriculating to Mason and/or result in termination from ADVANCE. For Milestones #4-#7, failure to meet these milestones may delay matriculation to Mason.
1. Students must graduate with the 91³Ô¹Ï degree aligned with their ADVANCE academic pathway within 4 years of being admitted into ADVANCE. Students are highly encouraged to be continuously enrolled at 91³Ô¹Ï/Mason to support progress towards degree completion.
2. Students must maintain a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA at 91³Ô¹Ï and must have a minimum 2.5 GPA upon matriculation to Mason.
3. Students who wish to enroll at Mason for the fall semester must apply for 91³Ô¹Ï spring graduation by March 1 or summer graduation by June 1. Students who wish to enroll at Mason for the spring semester must apply for 91³Ô¹Ï fall graduation by October 1.
4. Students must begin developmental coursework no later than the first semester in ADVANCE at 91³Ô¹Ï.
5. Students must take first college-level MTH course and ENG 111 in the semester immediately following the completion of any MDE or EDE courses (excluding summer).
6. In the first 30 credits, students must complete ENG 111 and ENG 112 with a C or better.
7. Students must complete a college level math course with a C or better no later than one semester before 91³Ô¹Ï graduation. Refer to your pathway to select the appropriate MTH course(s).
Program-Specific Requirements:
The following concentrations are offered: Applied and Engineering Physics, Astrophysics, Computational Physics, and No Concentration. Students are encouraged to consult with a Mason Physics advisor early in their education to select an appropriate concentration. Contact: uadvphys@gmu.edu.
A.S. Science
| 91³Ô¹Ï | MASON | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91³Ô¹Ï Degree Requirement | 91³Ô¹Ï Course | Credits | Transfer to MASON As | MASON Degree Requirement |
| SDV Course | SDV 100 College Success Skills or | 1 | UNIV 100 | General Elective |
| SDV 101 Orientation to XXX | UNIV 101 | |||
| ENG 111 | ENG 111 College Composition I1 | 3 | ENGH XXX | General Elective |
| HIS Course | HIS 101 Western Civilizations Pre-1600 CE or | 3 | HIST 101 | Global History |
| HIS 102 Western Civilizations Post-1600 CE or | HIST 102 | |||
| HIS 112 World Civilizations Post-1500 CE (recommended) | HIST 125 | |||
| MTH 167 or Science | MTH 167 PreCalculus with Trigonometry3 | 5 | MATH 105 | General Elective |
| ENG 112 | ENG 112 College Composition II1 | 3 | ENGH 101 | Written Comm |
| MTH 263 | MTH 263 Calculus I | 4 | MATH 113 | Quantitative |
| CST Course | CST 100 Principles of Public Speaking or | 3 | COMM 100 | Oral Comm |
| CST 110 Introduction to Human Communication | COMM 101 | |||
| Social/Behavioral Sciences #1 | ECO 201 Principles of Macroeconomics or | 3 | ECON 104 | Soc/Behav |
| ECO 202 Principles of Microeconomics or | ECON 103 | |||
| GEO 210 People and the Land: An Introduction to Cultural Geography or | GGS 103 | |||
| HIS 121 United States History to 1877 or | HIST 121 | |||
| HIS 122 United States History Since 1865 or | HIST 122 | |||
| PLS 135 U.S. Government and Politics or | GOVT 103 | |||
| PSY 200 Principles of Psychology or | PSYC 100 | |||
| PSY 230 Developmental Psychology or | PSYC 211 | |||
| SOC 200 Introduction to Sociology or | SOCI 101 | |||
| SOC 211 Cultural Anthropology | ANTH 114 | |||
| Science Course #1 | PHY 241 University Physics I | 4 | PHYS 160-161 | Nat Science |
| MTH 264 | MTH 264 Calculus II | 4 | MATH 114 | Major |
| Humanities/Fine Arts #1 | ART 100 Art Appreciation or | 3 | ARTH 101 | Arts |
| ART 101 History of Art: Prehistoric to Gothic or | ARTH 200 | |||
| ART 102 History of Art: Renaissance to Modern or | ARTH 201 | |||
| CST 130 Introduction to Theatre or | THR 101 | |||
| CST 151 Film Appreciation I or | ENGH L372 | |||
| MUS 121 Music in Society | MUSI 101 | |||
| Math or Science #1 | MTH 265 Calculus III | 4 | MATH 213 | Major |
| Science Course #2 | PHY 242 University Physics II | 4 | PHYS 260-261 | Major & Nat Science |
| Math or Science #2 | Other Concentrations: | 3-4 | Major or General Education | |
| MTH 266 Linear Algebra | MATH 203 | |||
| Astrophysics Only: | ||||
|
ASTR 210 Introduction to Astrophysics AND
*
|
ASTR 210 | |||
|
ASTR 124 Introductions to Observational Astronomy (co-enrollment courses) (Typically only offered in Spring terms)
*
|
ASTR 124 | |||
| General Education Elective |
PHYS 251 Introduction to Computer Techniques in Physics2
*
|
3 | PHYS 251 | Info Tech |
| Math or Science #3 | MTH 267 Differential Equations | 3 | MATH 214 | Major or General Education |
| General Education Elective(This elective is not needed if selections for all other requirements total 60 credits or more) | CST 229 Intercultural Communication or | 3 | COMM L305 | General Elective |
| ECO 202 Principles of Microeconomics or | ECON 103 | |||
| HUM 220 Introduction to African-American Studies or | AFAM 200 | |||
| HUM 256 Comparative Mythology or | ENGH 202 | |||
| MTH 245 Statistics I or | STAT 250 | |||
| PHI 111 Logic I or | PHIL 173 | |||
| PSY 200 Principles of Psychology or | PSYC 100 | |||
| REL 100 Introduction to the Study of Religion or | RELI 100 | |||
| SOC 200 Introduction to Sociology | SOCI 101 | |||
| General Education Elective | GEO 220 World Regional Geography or | 3 | GGS 101 | General Elective |
| PLS 140 Introduction to Comparative Politics or | GOVT 133 | |||
| PLS 241 Introduction to International Relations | GOVT 132 | |||
| Humanities/Fine Arts #2 | ENG 225 Reading Literature: Culture and Ideas or | 3 | ENGH 202 | Literature |
| ENG 245 British Literature or | ENGH 202 | |||
| ENG 246 American Literature or | ENGH 202 | |||
| ENG 255 World Literature or | FRLN L330 | |||
| ENG 258 African American Literature or | ENGH 202 | |||
| ENG 275 Women in Literature or | ENGH 202 | |||
| ENG Any 200-Level ENG Literature course4 | ENGH 202 | |||
| Total Credits: 62-63 | ||||
For academic policies and procedures, please see 91³Ô¹Ï catalog - http://www.nvcc.edu/catalog/index.html
B.S. Physics - All Concentrations
Concentrations:Applied and Engineering Physics; Astrophysics; Computational Physics; No Concentration
| MASON Degree Requirement Sequence | Course | Credits | MASON Core/Degree Equivalent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gen Ed: Written Communication (Upper-level) | ENGH 302 Advanced Composition | 3 | Written Comm | |
| Physics Core Courses | PHYS 262 University Physics III | 3 | Major | |
| Physics Core Courses | PHYS 301 Analytical Methods of Physics | 3 | Major | |
| Physics Core Courses | PHYS 303 Classical Mechanics | 3 | Major | |
| Physics Core Courses | PHYS 305 Electromagnetic Theory | 3 | Major | |
| Intermediate Laboratory | PHYS 311 Instrumentation | 3 | Major | |
| Concentration Course | Approved Concentration Course5 | 3 | Major | |
| Concentration Course | Approved Concentration Course5 | 3 | Major | |
| Concentration Course | Approved Concentration Course5 | 3 | Major | |
| Physics Core Courses | PHYS 402 Introduction to Quantum Mechanics and Atomic Physics | 3 | Major | |
| Concentration Course | Approved Concentration Course5 | 3 | Major | |
| Physics Core Courses | PHYS 307 Thermal Physics | 3 | Major | |
| Apex Course | Approved Concentration Apex Course (See: Advisor) | 4 | Apex & Writing Intensive | |
| Concentration Course | Approved Concentration Course5 | 3 | Major | |
| Concentration Course | Approved Concentration Course5 or | 3 | Major | |
| General Elective (See: Advisor) | ||||
| Practical Work, Research, Internship, or Independent Study | Applied/Engineering Physics: | 3 | Major | |
| Practical Work Elective5 | ||||
| All Other Concentrations: | ||||
| Approved Research, Internship, or Independent Study Course5 | ||||
| Concentration Course | Approved Concentration Course5 or | 3-4 | Major | |
| Concentration Course | General Elective (See: Advisor) | 3-4 | Major | |
| General Elective | General Elective (See: Advisor) | 3-4 | General Elective | |
| Total Credits: 120 | ||||
*Denotes a course that must be taken at George Mason University while attending 91³Ô¹Ï. Failure to complete your co-enrollment course(s) while attending 91³Ô¹Ï can significantly affect your timeline for Mason graduation. Please see your ADVANCE Coach for more information and to enroll.
Important Academic Information:
1Students who complete ENG 111 after Spring 2024 will earn ENGH elective for ENG 111 and ENGH 101 for ENG 112.
2It is recommended that students take this co-enrollment course in their 3rd semester if attending full-time.
3Students who place into MTH 263 will take one alternative lab science. Options include CHM 111, GOL 105, and BIO 101. Consult your ADVANCE Coach for more information.
4200-level ENG literature classes include: ENG 225, ENG 230, ENG 236, ENG 237, ENG 245, ENG 246, ENG 250, ENG 255, ENG 256, ENG 257, ENG 258, ENG 271, ENG 275, and ENG 279.
5For approved Concentration courses, please visit: https://catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/science/physics-astronomy/physics-bs/#requirementstext
Additional General Notes & Resources:
• Students must complete a total of 75 credits in the major (69 credits if completing a second major), including at least 11 credits in mathematics, with a minimum GPA of 2.00. Students must complete the coursework described below and either select a concentration or select the "BS without Concentration" option.
• Students interested in pursuing licensure to teach at the secondary level may add the Undergraduate Certificate: Secondary Education - Physics to this degree. For more information visit: https://education.gmu.edu/secondary-education-6-12/academics/ . Some certificate courses can be used to fulfill general elective requirements, but additional credits may be needed to complete the certificate. Students interested in teacher licensure should meet with a Mason pre-teacher advisor. Contact information: https://cehd.gmu.edu/teacher/advising/advising-appointment/
• For academic policies and procedures, please see Mason catalog - https://catalog.gmu.edu/policies/
• Students seeking a bachelor's degree must apply at least 45 credits of upper-level courses (numbered 300 or above) toward graduation.
General Education Waiver Policy and Guidance:
• Students who complete a VCCS transfer associate degree (AS, AA, or AFA) will receive a waiver of the Foundation and Exploration (lower division) Mason Core general education categories, which can be found here: https://catalog.gmu.edu/mason-core/ . To be eligible for the waiver, the students must provide
the Mason Office of Admissions with a final, official transcript reflecting the degree conferral date. As a prerequisite for ENGH 302, ENGH 101 is not waived. Students must complete ENGH 100 or ENGH 101, or an equivalent, with a C or higher.
• When a course fulfills a Mason Core requirement and a major or college requirement (e.g. Major & Quant), students must complete the course listed on the pathway to fulfill the major/college requirement. Courses that fulfill only Mason Core Foundation and Exploration categories are recommendations. In most pathways, ADVANCE students must complete a Quantitative Reasoning course to matriculate through ADVANCE.
• ADVANCE students must complete the associate degree indicated on their pathway (see the ADVANCE Program Milestones listed above). Students who withdraw from ADVANCE and transfer without the associate degree or UCGS are required to complete each Mason Core general education category.